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plug wires?

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
Closing in on 100k, I'm due (maybe overdue) for new plugs and wires...what brand(s) are people liking for wires in a stock application?

Willing to pay for quality, but would prefer not to throw money away, and apart from OEM, I can't even think of what a "name brand" part would be...so- recommendations- Motorcraft? Store-brand "premium" line? Other?

I plan to use Autolite dual platinum plugs.
 

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
Motocraft plugs, and MSD wires on My trucks with caps
Napa's best wires for those with coil packs
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
Unless I'm misremembering, or anything has changed in the last couple years, Autolite makes Motorcraft plugs...

(Dual-plat because, as I understand it, the coil pack fires half of them "backwards".)
 

O'Rattlecan

Redneck Prognosticator
26,687
797
Belton, MO
That 5.4L motor was suuuuuper picky about plugs. Motorcraft was the only way to go.

Boring referral here, but motorcraft/motorcraft. It's quality stuff.

Ryan
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Motorcraft on the wires. Autolite DP's on the plugs. Motorcraft plugs come from Ford dealers; Autolite from autoparts stores. Or so it appears.

*For kicks, check the gap on your OEM plugs, the ones that are supposed to go 100K. If I had known that half of mine would be up to like, .093", I'm never have ran it that far. On the flipside, in light of the driveability and the gas mileage, you would never, ever have known they were light years out of spec.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
Thanks all...gotta get off my butt and buy some parts one of these days.

If the parts are here, I'll get bored and stick 'em in the truck some night after work, but I need to get them first.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
For kicks, check the gap on your OEM plugs, the ones that are supposed to go 100K. If I had known that half of mine would be up to like, .093", I'm never have ran it that far.


At 98.5k, the factory plugs were all around 0.065" (spec 0.054"). Looked clean and honestly probably OK for longer if need-be. Wires felt pretty crispy compared to out-of-the box Motorcraft, though.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
Any driveabilty improvement?
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
No, but there were no driveability concerns.

Very occasional misfire (felt, no codes), but too infrequent to say if it's improved.
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
I didn't figure there was Ian, just wondered if it got smoother...it sometimes gets unnoticed until you change something.
 

Big Jim F150

73-79 Ford Trucks Rock
In my 78 f-150 with the 400 engine I'm running Autolite plugs, and ACCEL 8MM plugs, and I have run them for about two years with no trouble, but now I have a slight misfire or skip on the right bank of cylinders, but I'm going upgrade to the Autolite Iridium plugs, which run a little bit warmer than the stockers that's in there now..smiliegitrdonesmilieFordlogosmilieFordlogo
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
At 98.5k, the factory plugs were all around 0.065" (spec 0.054"). Looked clean and honestly probably OK for longer if need-be. Wires felt pretty crispy compared to out-of-the box Motorcraft, though.

C3FCC2C3-1F99-4BD7-BDE5-483978ED6267_zps8v7c9oca.jpg


(Arranged as they came out...front of truck to the right of the photo.)
 

DNFXDLI

The Token Canadian
Staff member
Wow...those are in good shape.
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
I'd have to dig up my maint record, but I can tell you that on one bank they were all around .07" and on the other they were all around .09"; you would never know unless they were pulled, it ran like a clock and mileage didn't change a bit. And yes, they were the OEM double platinum plugs that one MUST install in that engine (and others).
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
I was having a devil of a time finding "dual plat" Autolite or Motorcraft plugs. Rock Auto identifies the ones I bought as nickel plated or something (I'll check when home) but the PN matches what came out (factory).
 

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
You didn't go to Autozone, buy them and get the rebate? $10 = beer money. :D :beer:
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
Not in stock.

Or at the other chain place across the street that was offering the same deal. :(
 

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